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*Not without thy wondrous story, 

Illinois, Illinois, 
Can be writ the Nation's glory, 

Illinois." 




AliKAlIAM LINCOLN 



CELEBRATION 



OF T3E 



One Hundreth Anniversary of the Birth of 
ABRAHAM LINCOLN 



By the Springfield Chapter, Daughters o{ the 
American Revolution. 



SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS 
February 12, 1909 






'iosycc 'JZ^'.:s:.ov:^^ 



CEI.BBRATION OF THB OnE HUNDREDTH ANNI- 
VERSARY OF THE Birth of 

Abraham Lincoln. ^ ^ 

"' The Springfield Chapter, Daughters of the Amer- 
ican Revolution, has, for the last seven years, met 
at the old Lincoln Home upon the anniversary of 
his birth. '^ Steps were taken one year ago looking 
toward the approaching centennial of the birth of 
Abraham Lincoln, which now becomes historic. 
Active work was commenced early in the year; a 
Committee of Arrangements, consisting of the 
Regent, Mrs. Edwin S. Walker; Mrs. Benjamin H. 
Ferguson, Mrs. Charles V. Hickox, and Mrs. Susan 
Lawrence Dana, entered enthusiastically upon the 
discharge of its duties. Plans adopted embraced a 
reception at the Lincoln Home, between the hours 
of 5 and 7 o'clock p. m., and a banquet following 
later, at the rooms of the Young Men's Christian 
Association. The Committee on Invitation, consist- 
ing of Mrs. Charles V. Hickox, Mrs. John M. Palmer, 
Mrs. Benjamin H. Ferguson, Mrs. Harriet R-. Tay- 
lor, Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber, Mrs. George F. 
Stericker, Mrs. Henry Davis, Mrs. Charles H. 
Thacher, and Miss Mary Humphrey, issued four 
himdred invitations for the reception, to prominent 
members of the National Society Daughters of the 
American Revolution; to the members of the local 
Chapter Sons of the American Revolution; to^ the 
Board of Directors of the State Historical Society; 
to the ladies of the Soldiers' Aid Society, and to 
distinguished citizens of this and other states. 
Among regrets received were two from among 
the founders of the National Society, Mrs. Ellen 
Hardin Walworth, daughter of Hon. John J. Hardin, 



of Illinois, and Mrs. Mary S. Lockwood. Mrs. 
Walworth wrote: ''My thoughts will be with you 
on that great and interesting occasion." Mrs. 
Lockw^ood said: "There are many reasons why I 
would be glad to. be with you were it possible. 
First, to add one unit toward glorifying the name 
of the saviour of our Republic. I am rejoiced to see 
that the country at large is alive to the commemora- 
tion of this notable event. Had it not been for 
Abraham Lincoln and the patriotic work of his day 
the Daughters of the American Revolution would 
have little reason for having place in our Republic 
today." From North Carolina came the message: 
"It would be a delightful pleasure to be with you, 
and, though absent, I shall in spirit unite with you 
in your patriotic observance of the day, honoring 
the memory of the distinguished American." An- 
other Southern state sent greetings and regrets: 
"It is gratifying to know that the Daughters of the 
American Revolution propose to honor the memory 
of Abraham Lincoln, one of the great men of the 
world. ' ' 

Regrets were also received from President and 
Mrs. Roosevelt ; President-elect and Mrs. Taft ; Hon. 
and Mrs. Shelby M. Cullom, Hon. and Mrs. A. J. 
Hopkins, Hon. and Mrs. Richard Yates, Hon. and 
Mrs. J. W. Fifer, Mrs. John A. Logan, Mrs. John 
Hay, Miss Helen Nieolay, Mr, Horace White and 
many others. 

The Reception at the Lincoln Home. 

The Lincoln Home needed no other setting for 
that memorable occasion than the many, now price- 
less, relics of the olden times. Standing within its 
portals, the chasm of years seemed spanned, and one 
almost expected to see the living, breathing Lincoln, 
so great was the atmosphere of reality. Here min- 
gled men and women of the present generation, with 



many who had known and honored Abraham Lin- 
coln in earlier days. 

Receiving the gnests were Mrs. Walker, Chapter 
Regent, who, as hostess of the Chapter, presented 
the guests to Mrs. A. S. Edwards, hostess of the 
Lincoln Home ; JMrs. Robert T. Lincoln, Mrs. Charles 
S. Deneen, Mrs. Donald McLean, of New York, 
President General of the National Society; Mrs. 
Charles V. Hickox, State Regent of Illinois; Mrs. 
William J. Bryan, Mrs. Matthew T. Scott, former 
Vice-President General; Mrs. Wallace Delafield, 
Vice-President General of Missouri, and Mrs. Sam- 
uel McKnight Green, State Regent of Missouri. The 
assisting hostesses were : Mesdames B. H. Ferguson, 
Harris Hickox, Jessie Palmer Weber, Susan Law- 
rence Dana, Henry Davis, Arthur Prince, J. H. Pad- 
dock, and Malinda Weber Weeks. 

, Nearly the entire membership of the Springfield 
Chapter was present, and aided in welcoming the 
distinguished guests. From the Bloomington Chap- 
ter were Mrs. Matthew T. Scott, Mrs. Isaac Funk, 
and Mrs. Northrop ; from Decatur were the Regent, 
Mrs. Frank C. Roach, and Mrs. H. H. Crea ; Mrs. G. 
W. Edmonson, Regent of Clinton Chapter; from 
Lincoln were Miss Anna Pegram, the Regent ; Mrs. 
Catherine Gillett HiU, Miss Jessie Gillett, Mrs. 
David Gillespie, and Mrs. Eva Htmtoon; from Jack- 
sonville were the State Secretary, Mrs. Anne C. 
Dickson; the Regent, Mrs. Mabel B. Waddell, and 
Mesdames Crabtree, "Black, Mills, Alkire, Sharp, 
Weir, and the Misses Wilson, Doyle, and Epler. 

Among other guests were Mrs. Jacob Klein, of 
St. Louis, Mo. ; Mrs. A. G. Briggs, of St. Paul, Minn. ; 
Mrs. H. B. Sparks, of Alton; Mrs. Richard J. Ogles- 
by, of Elkhart; Mrs. Eustace Shaw, of Dixon; Miss 
Virginia Roby, of Chicago ; Miss Woodward, of Mid- 
dletown, N. Y. ; Mrs. Fannie Lyford Griffith, of 
Omaha, Neb., and Mrs. Mary Dennis, of Providence, 



R. I., who had journeyed this long distance to cele- 
brate her seventy-first birthday anniversary in the 
home of Lincoln. 

Arriving soon after 5 o'clock were the distin- 
guished visitors, His Excellency, Mr. J. J. Jusserand, 
the French ambassador; the Right Honorable James 
Bryce, the British ambassador; Hon. J. P. DoUiver, 
of Iowa, and the Hon. William Jennings Bryan. 
Accompanying these gentlemen were Governor 
Charles S. Deneen (who presented the guests to the 
receiving ladies), Hon. James Harlan, of the Inter- 
State Commerce Conunission ; Hon, William Phillips, 
Assistant Secretary of State; Hon. Charles Henry 
Butler, Clerk of the United States Supreme Court, 
and Hon. William Barrett Ridgely, all of Washing- 
ton, D. C; Hon. Luther E. Smith, Hon. W. M. 
Hough, Judge Jacob Klein, of St. Louis, Mo.; 
Judge William E. Seaman, of Wisconsin; Judge 
Peter S. Grosscup, of Chicago; Judge J Otis Hum- 
phrey, Hon. Andrew Russel, Hon. J. S. McCuUough, 
Hon. Francis G. Blair, Dr. William Jayne, a close 
friend of Lincoln; Hon. John W. Bunn, Major Blu- 
ford Wilson, Hon. Logan Hay, Mr. Stuart Brown, 
Mr. William Butler, Mr. Edgar S. Scott, and mem- 
bers of the local Chapter, Sons of the American 
Revolution. 

Mrs. Walker, Introducing the French Ambassador: 

"In behalf of, and representing the Springfield 
Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolu- 
tion, it is my pleasure to extend to you, gentlemen, 
our distinguished guests, a most cordial welcome to 
this historic home, upon the celebration of the one 
hundredth anniversary of the birth of Abraham 
Lincoln. We are especially honored by the presence 
of his Excellency, Mr. J. J. Jusserand, the Ambas- 
sador from France, the worthy successor, in the es- 
teem of the American people, of LaFayette." 

10 



Ambassador Jusserand: 

**0n such an occasion as-this it at once occurs to 
each mind the subject of the two great crises which 
occurred in American history, and the two great 
men which were given from birth to aid the Ameri- 
can nation — Washington and Lincoln, Between 
these two great men there are many connecting 
links — the love of country, love of duty, the desire 
to help, and success in helping. 

"I may say that, to the Daughters of the Ameri- 
can Revolution, we owe the preservation of the 
things that make us realize how they lived. To them 
credit is due for the preservation of the memorials 
at Mt. Vernon and Lincoln's home at Springfield. 

"Among the few books that Lincoln could secure 
when he was living in the woods, learning from 
them what duty was, what activity was, one of these 
was the 'Life of Washington,' and this very book, 
according to an anecdote that is said to be absolutely 
true, cost him three days of hard work, because he 
had placed it in a space between two logs, and it 
was thought lost. In that book he read for the first 
time of what Washington had done for his country, 
and of LaFayette. I want to say of LaFayette, and 
in the presence of my illustrious friend, the British 
ambassador, because he feels exactly as I do, that he 
had such a fine mind. 

"He was an ideal friend and an ideal enemy. He 
was a generous man. He showed his generosity 
and his feeling for America from the first. 

"Long before he came to America he went to 
visit his father in London, who was then French 
ambassador in London. 

"He was asked to go to Portsmouth to see the 
great ships that were building, and, knowing that 
they were to be used to fight the insurgents, as they 
were called, refused to go. 

11 



"This house is particularly sacred to all those 
who have a feeling for family life. It is here that he 
lived with the woman who so admired him, because 
she discovered that his heart was as great as his 
arms were long. 

**I want to thank you, and it is a great honor for 
me to extend my thanks, for the reception here this 
afternoon." 

Introducing Ambassador Bryce : 

*'The Daughters of the American Revolution are 
not unmindful of the fact that one of the most com- 
plete and impartial histories of the Revolutionary 
war is the recent production of an English author, 
Sir George Trevelyan; they also remember, with 
pleasure, that they are honored today by the 
presence of the celebrated author of that unexcelled 
commentary on our Constitution. 'The American 
Commonwealth.' I have the honor of introducing 
his Excellency, the British Ambassador." 

Ambassador Bryce, with deep feeling, spoke as 
follows : 

^'Ladies and Gentlemen: I had not the faintest 
idea, when I incautiously entered this town, that I 
was going to be asked to deliver three speeches — 
one of which I have already delivered; one I have 
not, and this which I am trying to deliver now. 
Should my remarks lack fluent words and skill, the 
charge must be laid upon the sex that put up this 
device to snare a eayeless man. 

"Nevertheless, I think that any one would be 
very insensate who would not feel inspired by the 
associations of this house, and the emotions with 
which the dwelling of the immortal Lincoln filled 
his breast. We are apt to think of the great men 
of the past as the great heroes pictured in history, 
and not as ordinary men like ourselves. We are apt 

12 



to forget that they, too, were tried by the humble 
duties of everyday life, and to recall only those 
deeds and services which have made their names 
immortal. I am glad to know the feelings of the 
people of the State of Illinois; to know that they 
honor and revere the name of Abraham Lincoln. 

"It is a moving thought for us that that great, 
noble soul should have dwelt here ; that he should 
have passed in and out of these doors, and that here 
he must have sat many hours, revolving in his mind 
those thoughts which were to prove the salvation of 
his country. In the great struggle of the Civil war, 
inspiration, called forth by the love of his country, 
told him what to do, and gave him the courage to do 
that which did prove the nation's salvation. 

"It strikes me as astounding that the people of 
New England and the other Northern states should 
have realized the extent of this trouble, and felt that 
they were called upon as liberators to abolish that 
great iniquity in their own time; that they should 
have heard the call of freedom to take up arms 
against the slave-trade. But sometimes, neverthe- 
less, I have wondered if the war would have been 
successful without the aid of the Robert Morrises 
and the loyal people of the North, who gave of their 
substance to the great cause, freely and unstintedly. 
So, I wonder whether the liberation of the slave and 
the safe salvation of the Union to freedom would 
have been accomplished without the aid of those 
faithful souls. And, among these, women were con- 
spicuous. It was during the war that momentous 
services were rendered by the Northern women who 
came down to the South, and nothing, we say, was 
more potent and more blessed than the work that 
the Northern women did when they came down to 
teach the negro. 

"One thing more deserves to be forever recog- 
nized as a powerful factor in the preservation of the 



13 



Union to freedom, and the extinction of slavery. 
That one force was a book, and that book was writ- 
ten by a woman. I remember, as a child, the im- 
pression made all over England and Scotland by 
'Uncle Tom's Cabin.' It was the most talked of 
book for months, after its appearance, that I can 
recall. There is nothing like it in my memory. 

"If we all took up our stand, once for all, on the 
side of freedom and human liberty in these days, as 
did the men of the war for the Union, under the lead 
of Lincoln, so doing would be paying the highest 
tribute to his memory. I remember that those were 
days in which ministers of religion acted no unim- 
portant part in the conflict of opposing forces. They 
realized that "those were days that tried men's 
souls," so it needed a good deal of force and power; 
it needed a good deal of powder and ball, to suc- 
cessfully prosecute the great National conflict to its 
final issue. 

"We must give great credit to the Southern 
women, because they did show great devotion to 
their cause, whatever the merits of that cause were. 
I feel, therefore, ladies, that we men should be un- 
grateful if we did not recognize the great part that 
the women have played, and the enormous services 
they rendered to the progress of the human race. ' ' 

Introducing the President General, of the D. A. R. : 

"Mrs. McLean, in response to an invitation of 
some months ago, comes to Springfield as the hon- 
ored guest of the Chapter, and to join with us in the 
celebration of the one himdredth anniversary of the 
birth of Abraham Lincoln." 

. ''My Dear Regent and Daughters: I may first 
say how delighted I am to be here, and to have the 
privilege of attending this celebration which the 
Springfield Chapter of the D. A. R. has arranged in 
commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of 

14 



the birth of Abraham Lincoln. It gives me great 
pleasure to listen to the kindly sentiments expressed 
by the ambassadors of two great countries; to see 
them come to do honor to the memory of the immor- 
tal Lincoln. Your words touch us deeply. I recall 
the brave LaFayette, and his heroic service in behalf 
of our country in her hour of need. It was not only 
LaFayette,- but his lovely wife, who sent him. She 
was only seventeen, and she let him come to us. I 
recall the love that carried Washington through such 
hard, such trying experiences. 

"I have sat under the spell of eloquence this 
afternoon ; I have been to the tabernacle, and learned 
there the wonderful power of human eloquence. I 
am grateful that gifted men should furnish such a 
treasure to cherish and recall with the flood of years. 
Believe me, a woman's worship and admiration of 
man have not diminished. They still exist in the 
hearts of all true women, for all true manhood ! ' ' 

Following these brief addresses the guests were 
escorted to the dining room, where they were met 
by the ladies in charge, with Mrs. Arthur Hunting- 
ton, a grand-daughter of Hon. Jesse K. DuBois, a 
pergonal friend of Lincoln, as Chairman. The as- 
sisting committee were: Miss Helen Allen, Mrs. A. 
L. Bowen, Mrs. Clayton Barber, Miss Ethelwyn 
Bradish, Miss Bessie Brinkerhoff, Miss Susan Chen- 
ery. Miss M. Frances Chenery, Mrs. W. B. Chitten- 
den, Miss Gertrude Converse, Mrs, E. E. Craft, 
Misses Ada and Edna Creighton, Mrs. Owen L. 
Frazee, Mrs. Jay T. French, Mrs. George K. Hall, 
Mrs. W. G. Harbeson, Mrs. G. L. Hamsberger, Mrs. 
P. W. Harts, Miss Savillah T. Hinriehsen, Miss Mary 
Humphrey, Mrs. Roy Ide, Mrs. J. R. Lieb, Mrs. G. 
A. Lochman, Miss Eleanor Matheny, Mrs. W. J. Mil- 
lar, Mrs. Lewis Miner, Mrs. Elmer A. Perry, Miss 
Nellie Sattley, Mrs. E. A. Snively, Miss Cordelia 
Stanton, and Mrs. W. A. Starne. 

15 



The decorations and appointments of the dining 
room were in keeping with the period in which Lin- 
coln lived. The silver, table linen, glass and china 
were used by Mrs. Lincoln, but now are treasured 
heirlooms, belonging to the Lincoln or Edwards 
families, or their intimate friends. The table cloth 
was the one used at the wedding supper of Abraham 
Lincoln and his bride. The bowl from which ice 
cream was served belonged to Mrs. Ward Lamon, 
daughter of the late Judge Stephen T. Logan; 
almonds, filberts, and raisins were served from a 
silver dish, now belonging to Mrs. B. H. Ferguson: 
from the epergne, and high lattice-work dishes, 
oranges, apples, and grapes were seen, while coffee 
was served from the urn once used by Mrs. Lincoln. 
The candelabra belonged to the Lincoln and DuBois 
families. On the sideboard were placed the old- 
fashioned cakes of sixty years ago, and from this 
same sideboard was cake served at the time of the 
wedding supper. 

The decorations were of smilax, heliotrope, and 
mignonette, with old-fashioned flat bouquets, so 
much in style in the sixties. About the large picture 
of Lincoln were the palm and oak leaves, sjrmbolic 
of victory and peace. 

Before leaving the Home, Ambassadors Bryce 
and Jusserand, Mr. Bryan, and Senator DoUiver 
were each presented with a small box, containing 
a block of walnut wood, in the rough, bearing a 
medallion of Lincoln. Each box was enclosed in a 
suitable leather covered case, bearing, in gold let- 
ters, the name of the recipient and the date of pres- 
entation. The presentation was made by Mrs. Mary 
Edwards Brown, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ed- 
wards, of the Lincoln Home, and grand-daughter of 
Mr. and Mrs. Ninian W. Edwards, at whose home in 
this city Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln were married. 



16 



The Banquet. 

From' the formal reception the members of the 
Chapter and their guests proceeded to the banquet 
hall of the Young Men's Christian Association, lo- 
cated two blocks distant, where they were received 
by a committee of ladies, with Mrs. Harris Hickox 
as Chairman. Assisting were: Mrs. B. W. Brown, 
Mrs. Edwin Beggs, Miss Mary Brooks, Mrs. James 
A. Creighton, Miss Gertrude Converse, Mrs. George 
Day, Mrs. Isaac Diller, Mrs. Frank Fisher, Mrs. 
Frank Godley, Mrs. J. H. Holbrook, Mrs. James T. 
Jones, Mrs. Caroline M. B. Kane, Mrs. George Leav- 
erton, Mrs. C. J. Lumpkin, Mrs. S. Mendenhall, Mrs. 
J. F. Miller, Mrs. J. H. Paddock, Mrs. James E. 
Power, Mrs. Arthur Prince, Mrs. J. I. Rinaker, Mrs. 
C. A. Eoosa, Miss Olive Sattley, Mrs. G. Clinton 
Smith, Mrs. Harriet Taylor, and Mrs. C. H. Thacher. 
The interior of the dining room was handsomely 
decorated for the 'occasion, as was the main reception 
hall. Flags and bunting were used in profusion, 
in carrying out the scheme of decoration. The com- 
mittee, consisting of Mesdames Ferguson, Menden- 
hall, Diller, Prince, Power, Hall, and Miner, assisted 
by Messrs. Thomas Condell and John Graham, 
seemed to catch the spirit of patriotism in their work 
of decoration. Immediately back of the table at 
which the guests of honor were seated were hung 
three portraits of Lincoln, backed by four large, and 
two small American flags; the center picture was 
framed on either side by sword palms, while above 
was placed a golden eagle with outspread wings, all 
emblematic of the supremacy of a Nation and a 
State. Under the picture was, a large bouquet of 
lilies and roses, a tribute of respect to our two for- 
eign ambassadors, the "lilies of France and the rose 
of England." Between the large flags on the north 
wall were two shields, one bearing the inscription, 
"With malice toward none," and the other, ''With 

17 



charity for all." The coliunus in the main portion 
of the hall were wound with smilax, while the tables 
were bright with hundreds of red carnations. Ten 
tables were arranged, and plates laid for 130 guests. 
The distinguished guests seated at the center table 
rendered it at once of such historic interest as could 
never be duplicated in the State of Illinois. In ad- 
dition to the guests of honor, Mrs. Deneen, Mrs. 
McLean, Mrs. Bryan, ]\Irs. Scott, Mrs. Delafield, 
Mrs. Green, and Mrs. Hickox, were: Mrs. E-hoda 
Bissell Thomas, daugher of former Governor Bissell ; 
Mesdames Richard Oglesby, and John R. Tanner, 
wives of former Illinois Governors; Mrs. Alice Ed- 
wards Ferguson, grand-daughter of Ninian Edwards, 
United States Senator, the first Territorial Governor, 
later Governor of the State. Miss Hannah Stuart, 
daughter of Hon. John T. Stuart, Member of Con- 
gress, and partner of Mr. Lincoln, was absent on 
account of illness; Mrs. Anne C. Dickson, State 
Secretary of Illinois Daughters; Mrs. Jessie Palmer 
Weber, daughter of Gen. John M. Palmer, who was, 
after the war, made Governor and later United States 
Senator ; Mrs. John M. Palmer, the ^vidow of General 
Palmer, was absent from the city; Mrs. James A. 
Rose, wife of the Secretary of State ; Mrs. A. S. Ed- 
wards, hostess of the Lincoln Home; Mrs. Edward 
D. Keys, a niece of Mrs. Lincoln, and Miss Humphrey, 
daughter of Judge Humphrey. The remaining 
tables were presided over by Mrs. Harris Hickox, 
Mrs. Susan Lawrence Dana, Mrs. Arthur Hunting- 
ton, Mrs. George K. Hall, Mrs. Isaac Diller, Mrs. P. 
W. Harts, Mrs. Harriet Taylor, ]\Irs. Arthur Prince, 
Mrs. W. A. Starne, Miss Ada Creighton, Miss Ger- 
trude Converse, IMrs. E. A. Snively, Mrs. J. I. 
Rinaker, Mrs. Elmer Perry, Mrs. Frank Godley, Mrs. 
G. A. Lockman, Mrs. W. J. Millar, and Mrs. C. A. 
Roosa. 



18 



Rarely, if ever, has the Capital City of Illinois 
heen the scene of so brilliant a social function. A 
kaleidoscopic picture of surpassing beauty, bewilder- 
ing in variety of color, magnificent in display of rare 
and costly laces and jewels, seen by the light of in- 
numerable candles, furnished a setting for the ban- 
quet hall at once resplendent and charming. Each 
guest was furnished with an appropriate place card, 
adorned with a fine vignette engraved portrait of 
Lincoln, encircled with laurel; below was the name 
of the guest, done in old English script, and the sig- 
nificant dates, 1809-1909, the artistic work of Mr. 
Arthur Huntington. 

To these were added souvenir booklets for each 
guest, the gift of Miss M. Frances Chenery, a member 
of the Chapter. On one page was seen a cut of the 
birthplace of Mr. Lincoln; on another, that of the 
home from which he went forth to fulfil the great 
''estiny which awaited him. Pressed flowers, such 
as had once grown near his monument in *'Oak 
Ridge, ' ' added a most artistic touch to the souvenir. 

Following the invocation offered by Mrs. Charles 
S. Deneen, the entire assemblage, standing, joined 
in singing the National Hymn, "America," led by 
the orchestra. 

Invocation. 

"We thank Thee, 0, Lord, that we are privileged 
to meet today in loving memory of Abraham Lin- 
coln. Incline our hearts to be as staunch and true as 
was his, alike in prosperity or adversity. Give us 
the same gentleness of spirit that characterized his 
whole life, and give us that sublime faith which was 
his. We ask Thy blessing upon these provisions of 
Thy hand, of which we are about to partake, and 
Thy benediction upon all who are present here to- 
night. Amen. ' ' 

At the conclusion of the banquet, as '^ Mistress of 

19 



Toasts," Mrs. Edwin S. Walker welcomed the guests 
present, and introduced the speakers, as follows : 

"Tie one regret which is mine to-night is that I 
am not a native of this great State of Illinois. 

It has been well said that the only difference 
between Illinois and Vermont, is that Illinois is a 
great big state, while Vermont is a great little state. 

The real daughter, to 'the manner born,' of the 
great little state of Vermont, which was ever loyal 
to Lincoln, and an adopted daughter of the great 
big state, in the name of the Springfield Chapter 
Daughters of the American Revolution, extends a 
cordial welcome to you, our visiting guests, to the 
Capital City of lUinpis. 

It is not alone a welcome to the Capital City, 
but to the home city of him whose one hundredth 
birthday we commemorate to-night; the city which 
Abraham Lincoln loved, who, forty-eight years 
ago yesterda}^ gave expression to his feeling in those 
never to be forgotten farewell words : 

'*To this place and the kindness of these people 
I owe everything. Here I have lived a quarter of a 
century, and have passed from a young to an old 
man. Here my children have been bom, and one is 
buried. I bid you an affectionate farewell." 

Alas, they proved to be his farewell utterances 
to the friends of many years. 

Each year, as the Daughters of the American 
Revolution enter the doors of Lincoln's old home, 
something akin to awe comes over us. There his 
feet once trod those floors; his hands once touched 
so many, now priceless, relics, and his voice echoed 
within those walls. 

As Daughters of the Amdrican Revolution, we 
cherish a, pardonable pride in the 'Home City' of 
Lincoln. 

20 



Listen to the roll call of her ilustrious states- 
men and heroes. 

An Edwards; a Bissell; a Yates; a Douglas; a 
Logan; a Stuart; an Oglesby; a Trumbull; a Palmer; 
a Grant — all speak eloquently of the past. As we 
stand where granite and bronze tell the life story, 
and commemorate the fame of one whose memory is 
enshrined in all our hearts, the benediction of him, 
whom Lowell so fittingly, in his 'Commemoration 
Ode,' characterized as the 'First American,' will rest 
upon us. 

As long as cur nation shall endure, all organiza- 
tions, which have for their object the promotion of 
patriotism, shall feel the unspoken blessing of the 
martyred Lincoln, whose name will ever lead the 
silent, unseen phalanx of Springfield's heroes. 

We are led to think to-night of the lowly place 
where, many centuries ago, the Christ child was 
born ; the time when the morning stars first sang to- 
gether — when the wise men, led by the star of Bethle- 
hem, brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh 
to the feet of Him who had come to be the Saviour 
of the world. So, to-night, we are carried back in 
imagination to the humble home where Lincoln first 
saw the light of day, and we would bring, on this 
one hundredth anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's 
birth, gifts of praise and thanksgiving to the mem- 
ory of him who was the saviour of this nation. 

"One name alone, above all others stands, 

A hundred years has stood the crucial test. 
Of famous men of ours, or other lands, 

Abraham Lincoln, is the name most blessed. 
Abraham Lincoln — how the welkin rings 

With plaudits for this nation- treasured name; 
Recurring birthdays the remembrance brings 

Of deeds heroic that proclaim his fame." 

After announcing the regrets of Mrs. Charles H. 
Deere, Vice-President General of Illinois, Mrs. 
Hickox was introduced, who, though a member of 

21 



the Springfield Chapter, is tonight our honored 
guest, the State Regent of Illinois, from whom I am 
sure we shall all be delighted to hear. We hope she 
will tell something of Lincoln's fondness for chil- 
dren. 

Greetings from Mrs. Hickox : 

Madam Toast Mistress, President General, Distin- 
guished Guests, and Daughters of the American 
Revolution : 

When our Chapter Regent referred, a moment 
ago, to Lincoln's love for children I felt that I was 
most fortunate in having as a treasured recollection 
the fact that, as Lincoln was leaving our home, after 
an entertainment, given in his honor by my parents, 
he took me, a little child, in his arms, fondly, and 
spoke a few words to me in his gentle way. While 
I cannot recall the words, the act and the thought 
will ever be remembered. 

It is, indeed, a pleasure for me to welcome you, 
our beloved President General, our honored guests 
and Daughters, to the capital of the great State of 
Illinois. 

Today, Madam President General, will ever be 
a memorable one in the annals of the Illinois Daugh- 
ters, and, as the Regent of this great 'Prairie State,* 
speaking for the 3,000 Daughters whom it is my 
privilege to represent, I rejoice that you are with us. 
From your able leadership comes much of our in- 
spiration, and we owe you our heartfelt thanks and 
appreciation for the magnificent work accomplished 
by you. Rarely, if ever, has such a record been 
made, and your name will always be indissolubly 
connected with that great monimient, now so near 
completion, Memorial Continental Hall. Our Chap- 
ter has been looking forward to this day with such 
pleasant anticipation, and our one regret is that we 
are to have you with us for so short a time. 

22 



"While we tell with pride that this is the third 
state in the Union in point of population; third in 
wealth, and contains the third largest city on the con- 
tinent, we realize that, above all these possessions, 
the fact that gives our State and its capital world- 
wide renown, is that it was the home of Abraham 
Lincoln. We have just come from the hallowed 
walls of his old home, where we have paid tribute to 
his memory. Throughout the land, in city and ham- 
let, a whole nation will seek to honor his memory 
to-day, and if there is aught in association, how much 
more should this Chapter, the representative of one 
of the grandest patriotic organizations in existence, 
seek to contribute to this universal paean of praise? 
We do so, enthusiastically, because the mission of 
the Daughters is, largely, to promote true patriot- 
ism ; because we endeavor in every way to encourage 
the celebration of all patriotic anniversaries, and 
because both Mr. Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd 
Lincoln, were eligible to membership in our organi- 
zation, as they were both lineal descendants of 
patriots of the Eevolution. Again, we try to pre- 
serve the records of individual service, and, with this 
end in view, our State Historian, your honored Chap- 
ter Regent, has requested every Chapter to send a 
report of their Lincoln Centennial exercises to her, 
from which will be compiled a volume unique with 
its personal recollections. By a remarkable coin- 
cidence, the semi-centennial of the famous debates 
between the 'Railsplitter' and the 'Little Giant' pre- 
ceded this centennial only a few months, and at that 
time, I am happy to say that the D. A. R. of Illinois 
again proved their loyalty. The Illini Chapter 
placed a huge boulder to mark the scene of the first 
debate in Ottawa. At EJioxville, the Chapter placed 
a tablet to recall the fact that Lincoln rested at the 
Hebard House over night on his way to Galesburg, 
and, at that time, addressed the people. Princeton, 

23 



too, has placed a boulder to recall the debate which 
took place there. Decatur Chapter has marked, with 
boulder and tablet, the first home of Lincoln in 
Illinois, and acquired and restored the old log cabin 
where Lincoln tried cases in Court, and are using it 
as a Chapter house. 

Thus have we proved that, while we dwell with 
pride upon 

"Ancestry, a gallant, Christian race, 
Pattern of every virtue, every grace," 

yet our special objects are most noble, and, as with 
all our hearts' devotion, we desire to honor the mem- 
ory of our immortal Lincoln, I foretell that ere long 
the different Illinois Chapters will have shown their 
gratitude to this 'Master of men' by marking every 
spot connected with the important steps in his life, 
that they may teach patriotism to the youth of to- 
day by recalling the thought, word and deed of the 
martyred President. 

Introducing Mrs. Scott: 

"Kentucky is a remarkable state. We have all 
heard of the famous blue-grass region, and had come 
to believe that one bom outside of that paradise 
park must have been of plebeian ancestry, but 
latterly this blue-grass country has come to cover 
the entire state. It is fitting that an illustrious 
daughter of the original blue-grass portion of Ken- 
tucky should speak of her greatest countryman — 
'Lincoln.' 

Ladies, as coming events cast their shadows be- 
fore, I am presenting to you our next President 
General of the Daughters of the American Revolu- 
tion, Mrs. Matthew T. Scott. 



24 



Mrs. Scott's Address. 

Madam President General, Madam State Regent, 
Madam Chapter Regent and Ladies : 
Many of you know my rooted aversion to being 
called on to make a few remarks. At the mere 
suggestion I have a sort of fellow feeling with the 
mountaineer in Kentucky, who had to settle up his 
father's estate of about $1,000. As he was jogging 
along on his mule through the mud, on his way to the 
old court house, again to try to wind up affairs, he 
was heard gloomily muttering to himself, 'I almost 
wish pap hadn't 'a died.' 

Now, I cannot say I almost wish I had not been 
summoned to this wonderful gathering just on ac- 
count of a remark or two — for I cannot conceive of 
anything more inspiring; more appealing; more 
quickening to the highest in us, than this spontane- 
ous outpouring of the multitude who all over this 
land to-day, by one common impulse, with flower and 
speech, and song, honor the memory of the kindly, 
good man, the great, far-seeing statesman, the heroic 
soul, who finished his course with the martyr's 
crown. 

Your committee having invited the distinguished 
and eloquent President General of the Daughters 
of the American Revolution to represent the east, 
and the first lady of the west, whom several 
millions of us had devoutly hoped and prayed 
to see, the first lady of the land — to speak for this 
great section — which may in truth be called Lincoln 'a 
own country, an humble Kentuckian is honored, 
whose pride and distinction is that she was born in 
the same state as Abraham Lincoln, all her ancestors 
and his people belonging to that part of the country 
south of Mason and Dixon's line, which lost most 
and suffered most cruelly by Mr. Lincoln's tragic 
death — for this great President was in truth the 
* Great Pacificator.' 

25 



I was asked some time ago to furnish some 
reminiscences of Mr. Lincoln, eiilled from the lips or 
pen of others who had known him well. Failing in 
this, I turned to his second inaugural address, and 
there read words, paralleled only by those of Him 
who spake as never man spake. 

When, in the loom of time, have such words 
been heard above the din of fierce conflict as. his 
sublime utterances but a brief time before his tragic 
death? 'With malice toward none; with charity for 
all ; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see 
the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are 
in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him 
who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow 
and his orphan; to do all which may achieve and 
cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves 
and with all nations.' 

'To bind up the nation's wounds' — could words 
more eloquently portray the high, pure soul; the 
tender nature; the compassion for humanity, that 
marked this man? *To bind up the nation's wounds' 
— his parting benediction to his countrymen — be- 
came a sacrament for the ages. 

And, now, may I say a word of Lincoln, the 
Kentuckian? At the great home gathering of Ken- 
tucky's scattered children in Louisville, nineteen 
months ago, upon the 'Greater Kentucky Day,' a 
day largely given up to eulogy and memorials of 
Mr. Lincoln, a distinguished son of Kentucky, 
the orator of the occasion, said of this, the 
most illustrious of all the sons of this old Common- 
wealth; a Kentuckian by birth; by adoption an 
lUinoisan, and at all times, in its grandest concep- 
tion, an American: 'When I would speak of Abra- 
ham Lincoln, I am reminded of the embarrassment 
of the French orator, Bousset, when he pronounced 
his matchless eulogy upon the Prince of Conde. 
Said he: "I find myself equally overwhelmed by 



the greatness of the theme and the needlessness of 
the task. What part of the habitable globe has not 
heard of the wonders of his life? Everywhere they 
are rehearsed. His own countrymen, in extolling 
them, can give no information, even to the 
stranger." Of Lincoln no words can be uttered or 
withheld that could add to or detract from his im- 
perishable fame. His name is the common heritage 
of all people and all time.' 

Of this untutored Kentucky boy said another 
distinguished Kentuckian: 'He lived with Nature 
and learned of her. He toiled, but his toil was 
never hopeless and degrading. His feet were upon 
the earth, but the stars, shining in perennial beauty, 
were ever above him to inspire contemplation. He 
heard the song of the thrush, and the carol of the 
lark. He watched the sun in its course. He knew 
the dim paths of the forest, and his soul was awed 
by the power of the storm.' 

Fortunate, indeed, was it that during the stress 
of the storm of the early '60s, the ark of our cov- 
enant was then borne by the plain, brave man of 
conciliatory spirit ; of kind words, and whose heart 
—as Emerson has said— * was as large as the world, 
but nowhere had room for the memory of a wrong.' 
Nobler words have never fallen from human 
lips than the closing sentences of his first inaugural, 
uttered in one of the pivotal days of human history 
—immediately upon taking the oath to 'preserve, 
protect and defend' his country. 'I am loath to 
close. We are not- enemies, but friends. We must 
not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, 
it must not break our bonds of affection. The mys- 
tic chords of memory, stretching from every battle- 
field and patriot's grave to every living heart and 
hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell 
the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as 

27 



surely they will be, by the better angels of our na- 
ture.' 

'I know of no words more fitting,' said Mr. 
Stevenson, Svith which to close this humble tribute 
to the memory of Lincoln, than those inscribed upon 
the monument of Moliere: "Nothing was wanting 
to his glory; he was wanting to ours." 

At the conclusion of Mrs. Scott's response, the 
song, ** Illinois," was rendered by a double quartette 
of gentlemen, with Mr. Henry N. Hansen as soloist. 

Introducing Mrs. Weber: 

"Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber is the worthy daugh- 
ter of a distinguished soldier, Governor, and United 
State Senator, but to-night he is remembered as Gen. 
John M. Palmer. Mrs. Weber, from the thorough- 
ness of her knowledge of Illinois history, is emi- 
nently qualified to speak upon 'The Soldiers of 
1861-1865.' 

Madam Regent, our Honored Guests and Daugh- 
ters: 

To me is given the honor of speaking a word to 
you, asking for a thought for the brave defenders 
of our country — the heroes of the war between the 
States, the soldiers of 1861-1865. 

It has been nearly forty-eight years since the 
fall of Fort Sumter and the call for troops. Many 
recurring summers have scattered their blossoms 
over the countless graves of those heroes who fell in 
battle in the most stupendous war for liberty that 
the world has ever known. Every year, in the flood 
tide of spring, when Decoration Day comes, their 
praises are sung by millions of their grateful coun- 
trymen, and the birds and the bees, and the 
sunshine and the soft breezes of summer, 
chant their endless requiem; and nearly half 
a century of the snows of winter have 
wrapped their lowly beds in white, and more than 

28 



a generation have been born and grown to manhood 
and womanhood since those awful and fateful days 
— and still the thought of them and their great 
deeds thrills us with a love and a veneration beyond 
all words. In offering a tribute to these brave men, 
I recognize no rank, no station. I see no stars or 
shoulder straps. I beg a thought for that grand 
army, the only condition to our love and reverence 
being the knowledge that he was a soldier. 

When an insulted country heard the menacing 
boom of cannon, all classes of its citizens rushed to 
its defense. Husbands left weeping wives and little 
ones; boys of tender years leapt from their mothers' 
arms, becoming at their country's call at once men 
and heroes; lovers left their sweethearts, putting by 
their fair, fond hopes, and sisters and daughter^ 
smiled through bitter, blinding tears as they bade 
farewell to brothers and to fathers. 

They rushed from every avenue and rank in 
life, forsaking the comforts of their homes and their 
business interests. They were not moved by mer- 
cenary considerations. They sprang, with singleness 
of purpose, to the support of their country and its 
flag. 

When Napoleon, in his firet Italian campaign, 
had beaten one after another of the armies sent out 
against him, the Austrian government refused to 
recognize the Republic of France. 

Said Napoleon: 'The French Republic needs 
no recognition. Its existence is as manifest as the 
sun in the heavens.' And, so, our volunteer armies 
need no eulogy from me, but I deem it a privilege 
and an honor to stand before you and offer, as a 
thought and a toast, the glorious deeds of our vol- 
unteer armies. 

England asked why the war between the States 
was of such long duration. The answer was, 'Be- 
cause now we are fighting Americans.' 

24 



But our volunteer soldiers were not men of war. 
They were men of peace, and they knew that, 
though the arts of peace are greater than the arts 
of war, there can be no peace except under a pow- 
erful sword, and, as they rushed with ardor to the 
battle-field, so their disbanding and returning to 
their homes in 1865, after Appomattox, was almost 
as wonderful as their deeds and prowess as soldiers. 
No more sublime example of the spirit and strength 
of our institutions can be offered than the orderly 
manner of the disbanding and returning to their 
usual pursuits of this great and victorious army of 
citizen soldiers. 

What can we say of their braveiy! 

How often have we watched, with breaking 
hearts full of admiration, the courage of some dear, 
stricken one, who unflinchingly yields to the ap- 
proach of the great king of terrors ; but what shall 
we say of the courage of those to whom life is sweet 
and full of high hopes, who voluntarily go out to 
meet death, or worse than death, on battle-field or 
in the trench? 

Often we hear it said that the joy of conflict 
made men brave ; that the excitement of battle made 
them careless of danger; but what of the long days 
of weary marching and dreary waiting, of cold and 
hunger, of drill and picket duty? The theater of 
our war was almost as wide as the ocean. Our sol- 
diers fought some times in forests; some times on 
prairies, or in swamps; under tropical heat, or in 
ice and snow; on the mountain tops above the 
clouds, or on the plains. 

No soldiers ever had to contend with greater 
diversity of physical obstacles. The regular army, 
at the outbreak of the war, numbered only about 
16,000 men, and this little army had to grow greatly 
to make up the grand total Of over a million and a 
half of men who made up the Grand Army. Illinois 

30 



alone gave to the war between the states 250,000 
men. The small regular army did what it could for 
the cause nobly and well, but it is to the volunteer 
soldiers that we owe the preservation of our country, 
and to them is due the fact that our government now 
exists as the fathers of the Republic bequeathed it 

to us. 

At the beginning of the war these hosts of vol- 
unteers, brave but undisciplined, were some times 
an embarrassment to their commanders. They were 
green soldiers, who had never smelled powder; but 
at the close of the war the volunteer soldiers of the 
United States army were the best soldiers in the 
world. Officers and men alike had been trained and 
disciplined. There had been no army comparable 
to it since Napoleon's veterans. At the close of the 
war every officer in command represented nine oth- 
ers who had been stricken by disease, bullet or shell, 
or sent home disabled. How we bow low in rever- 
ence at the name of the great hero whose birth we 
to-day celebrate! His hand penned the great eman- 
cipation proclamation, but it was not the pen of 
Lincoln which actually dropped the shackles from 
the slave. 

'The Proclamation,' says a great soldier, 'was 
the sentiment of a nation quickened into life by the 
mad havoc of war, and intensified into expression 
by the desperation of the conflict.* 

Old John Brown wrote the Emancipation Proc- 
lamation, on the mountains of Virginia, before Lin- 
coln dreamed of writing it with his pen. He wrote 
it in his blood, and 'His soul goes marching on.' 

With all of Lincoln's simple courage and elo- 
quence, and all the wisdom and brilliant oratory, in 
the Senate of the United States, of Charles Sumner 
and others of the giants of those days, it was the 
tramping of the boys in blue, with lines of steel, that 
saved the Union. 'When cannons speak, nations 



31 



think, and, amid the clash of great armies, they 
think great thoughts.' 

The dead of great wars for conquest are for- 
gotten, but the graves of those who die in wars for 
liberty are consecrated, and their fame can never die. 
Our soldier dead live on. They live in the National 
life they made possible ; they live in the freedom of 
those whose shackles they unloosed, and they live 
in the songs and hymns of gratitude of their chil- 
dren's children. Madam Regent, the battle fields of 
the world are the mile-stones of human progress. 
Beneath every gravestone lies a portion of the 
world's history. The glory manifold of each great 
nation of the earth has come over the path of human 
sacrifice. For all the good which has been accom- 
plished in this world there are fields baptized with 
some strong heart's best blood. 

In all the battles from Bull Run to Appomat- 
tox; from Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge, Stone 
River, Shiloh, Ringold, Reseca, Kenesaw Mountain, 
Seven Oaks, and countless others; from the Army 
of the Cumberland; of the Tennessee; of the Poto- 
mac, and the armies of the East, these battle-fields 
and these knightly soldiers call to us, their daughters 
and the heirs of the great works which they 
wrought, to honor their memory, and, still more than 
that, to honor, by every effort of our hearts and 
minds, the remnant of the Grand Army which still 
lingers with us, though aged and feeble of step, and 
rapidly passing over to join the great majority, but 
which it is still our privilege to see and know. 

Madam Regent, I pledge the soldier of 1861- 
1865, our brave defenders by land and sea, the army 
and the navy, from the highest officer to the lowest 
private. One star may differ from another in mag- 
nitude, but they are all stars in our glorious con- 
stellation. I ask a blessing and a tear for all, living 
and dead, the Blue and the Gray. I beg a tear for 

S2 



those brave men who gave their lives for the defense 
of their homes in the Southland. We honor the 
Southern army for that display of bravery, valor, 
and endurance which challenged the admiration of 
the whole world. I ask a tear for those who now lie 
under the pine and the fragrant magnolia, knowing 
not that they died for a 'lost cause,' and a pledge 
for those of the new South, who are now a part of 
the great America, our reunited country. 

Madam Regent, 'The Soldier of the Sixties.' 

Introducing Mrs. Bryan. 

At a fair held in Washington, D. C, during the 
war for the Union, President Lincoln, being present, 
was called upon to speak. Paying high tribute to 
the work of the women in those days of trial, he 
closed with this sentiment : ' ' God bless the American 
women." Were he living today he would doubtless 
give added emphasis to his words of appreciation, in 
view of the enlarged sphere of woman's activities, 
alike in education and philanthropy. 

Mrs. William J. Bryan, a representative woman 
of the present day, will now address us, paying a 
tribute to "Mary Todd Lincoln." 

Madam Regent and Daughters of the American 

Revolution : 

The dominant characteristic of Mrs. Lincoln, as 
I see her, was her unswerving loyalty to her hus- 
band and to that for which he stood. Her relatives 
were Southerners. They naturally did not agree 
with him upon slavery. 

Indeed, I am told by one of your number that 
her relatives always voted against Mr. Lincoln. 
One would think her own tendencies would lead her 
to a Southern, rather than a Northern view. But 
through all she was most faithful to his ideas. 

I found a letter she once wrote to Charles 



Sumner, and, with your permission, will read a sen- 
tence or two. This letter was written April 2, 1866, 
and says, in part: 

'How much misfortune could be spared, as a 
nation, if our faithless and unscrupulous President 
entertained the same views as yourself and all other 
true patriots. 

'Unfortunately, he is trying to ignore all the 
good that has been accomplished, and returning the 
slave to his bondage. 

'The contemptible act of refusing the f reed- 
men of Richmond the privilege of celebrating the 
anniversary of their freedom is but too sure an indi- 
cation of his feelings toward the oppressed race. 
His wicked efforts will fail, and justice and liberty 
triumph. ' 

One sees the spicy side of her nature in her em- 
phatic expressions, but the beautj' of her faithfulness 
stands out with equal clearness. 

And, after all, what is better than loyalty? If 
we learn this lesson from the life of Mrs. Lincoln ; if 
we are loyal to our families, our neighbors, and our 
God, will we not have lived the best life possible ? 

Ladies, I give you this toast: 'To the worthy 
wife of a great man. A wife who was staunch and 
loyal and true. May the memory of her grow in 
sweetness with the growing years.' 

Introducing Mrs. McLean: 

We, the members of the Springfield Chapter, 
will ever hold this day in remembrance as the grand- 
est day in our history as an organization. "We 
rejoice that we are permitted to pay tribute to the 
memory of the greatest man of our city, state, or 
nation. We appreciate the presence of our beloved 
President General, Mrs. Donald McLean, who comes 
to us from her distant Eastern home, imbued with 
the spirit of the time, to add her tribute of praise 

S4 



and appreciation to the memory and character of the 
immortal Lincoln. Mrs. McLean is a distinguished 
descendant of a long line of illustrious ancestors, 
occupying high judicial positions ; she has, under the 
work accomplished during her administration, 
brought to a successful completion that magnificent 
National monument, in which this Chapter is greatly 
interested, * Memorial Continental Hall.' Daughters, 
I am proud to present to you Mrs. Donald McLean, 
President General of the National Society, Daughters 
of the American Revolution. 

My Bear Regent, our Distinguished Guests, and 
Daughters of the American Revolution'. 

Your President General is having such an ex- 
perience. When I go out among my Daughters, I 
am usually accorded a certain amount of importance 
— I am the President General. But when I come to 
this Chapter, hearing the introduction of Mrs. Scott, 
I am but the President General, soon to be super- 
seded. I can assure you it is a new experience, and 
a delightful one. 

But I did not come here to vaunt my position. 
I came to be imbued, from my soul, upward and out- 
ward, with the marvelous inspiration of the life of 
Abraham Lincoln. When I think of those true and 
brilliant women, I am conscious of the great and 
magnificent function of womanhood, and my heart 
goes out to that little woman in Kentucky who, 100 
years ago, gave birth to the saviour of a great coun- 
try, and died before she knew what she had borne. 
Think, ladies, he came to her just as each of our own 
babes came to us, with no conception in her soul of 
the wonderful gift she had made the nation, and no 
need of such thought to fill her cup, because she is 
so glad of that man-child. But that is the maternal 
instinct that imbues us all. 

Tonight, as I look around at my beautiful and 

35 



brilliant Daughters, and see the light of a never- 
failing loyalty, I feel that its beams have rekindled 
the faith in all our hearts. With the unfailing in- 
stinct and intuition of womanhood, we stand here 
to-night, the epitome, as it were, of the twentieth 
century. 

And to-night I bring my laurel wreath to you, 
great Lincoln! I have heard you likened to the 
palm; I have heard your heart described as a heart 
at all times staunch and true ; but I liken you to the 
great, ever-rolling sea — not the sea of the blue, 
glinting sunlight, but the dark sea; the sombre and 
sad, rolling sea, ever widening, ever sweeping down 
on a Godlike soul a tidal wave of human perfec- 
tion, till it rise in all its majesty, and, rising, 
sweep 'er the whole universe ! 

At the State Arsenal. 

At the conclusion of this address, all joined the 
male quartette in singing "My Old Kentucky 
Home," thus closing the informal, though most de- 
lightful, "feast of reason and flow of soul." The 
program was necessarily brief, that the Daughters 
and their guests might avail themselves of the op- 
portunity of hearing the post-prandial speeches at 
the banquet of the gentlemen, at a later hour, at the 
State Arsenal. Positions of honor had been assigned 
the party in the balcony, from which vantage ground 
the splendid work of artists, in the decorations of 
the hall, could be seen in all its beauty and magnifi- 
cence of display, as well as hearing the speeches of 
the distinguished gentlemen, who for the hour de- 
lighted the vast and brilliant audience with their 
splendid addresses and oratory. It was fitting that 
the delegation of Daughters of the American Revo- 
lution should rise, as they did, and wave their flags 
when the orchestra played the "Star Spangled 
Banner," and again when Senator DoUiver alluded 

36 



to their organization in the following complimentary 
terms : 

There are two little groups of people whose 
coming into this chamber have touched my heart. 
One of them sits yonder in the balcony — ^the Daugh- 
ters of the American Revolution. There is one thing 
about them that the public ought to understand. We 
are here, in our little way, trying to preserve and 
helping to perpetuate the memory of Abraham Lin- 
coln; but Abraham Lincoln needs none of our help 
to make his memory immortal in the ages of the 
World. These women are doing a finer thing, even, 
than that. They are perpetuating the unknown 
heroism, the unrecorded service, of the men who, in 
the foundations of our institutions, gave their lives, 
with willing hearts, to the defense of public liberty. 
They do not ask, even, that a man should be re- 
garded as a hero. If only he was willing for the 
sacrifice, it is their business to hand his name, how- 
ever lowly, to other generations. 

And yonder in the gallery sits a little group of 
veterans who, after all, made the services of Abra- 
ham Lincoln possible in the dark days of the Civil 
war. We have heard from the lips of the English 
ambassador that a great name, a great man, is the 
chief possession of a people, but there can be no 
great name, no great man, unless there is behind 
him a great cause and a great people. 



zi 



NATIONAL OFFICERS 



President General— M^s. D0NAI.D McLean. 
Vice-President General, for Illinois— 

Mrs. Chari.es h. Deere. 



STATE OFFICERS 



Regent— Mrs. Charles V. Hickox - Springfield 
Vice-Regent— Mks. Charles W. Irion - Ottawa 
Treasurer— Mrs. G. Elwood MacGrew - Chicago 
Secretary— IArs. Robert W. Colville - Galesburg 
Historian— MViS. Henry C. Todd - - Oak Park 



CHAPTER OFFICERS 

1908-1909 



Regent— Mrs. Edwin S. Walker. 
Vice-Regent— Mrs. Harris Hickox. 
Secretary— Mrs. John I. Rinaker, JR. 
Registrar— Miss Helen Gertrude Converse. 
Treasurer— Mrs. William A. Starne. 
Historian— Miss Savillah T. Hinrichsen. 
Chaplain— Mrs. John M. Palmer. 



011 



425 622 5 # 



